[2009-04-11 21:33:59] <Geminid> It's ancient

[2009-04-11 21:36:00] <Quacklin> like, Age of Legends ancient? How long does Quacklin think he has until it rights itself? How close can he get?

[2009-04-11 21:36:40] <Geminid> More like late Age of Empires. This is probably Agikaani made, actually. He has maybe three minutes. He can't get close at all.

[2009-04-11 21:37:27] <Quacklin> what are the most racist stereotypes against the Agikaani?

[2009-04-11 21:39:47] <Quacklin> is ancient tech sentient, a la Geminid?

[2009-04-11 21:40:52] <Geminid> Agikaani are viewed like the Chinese are viewed today--fascist, oppressive, obsessed with purity despite being a mixed race.

[2009-04-11 21:41:06] <Geminid> They're call giks as a slur.

[2009-04-11 21:42:06] <Quacklin> I'm trying to decide if Quacklin would try and improv something to rip off one of this things legs in retribution.

[2009-04-11 21:42:32] <Quacklin> or just reconfigure Walker and leave.

[2009-04-11 21:44:42] <Geminid> A squirrel runs up and chitters on Walker's leg.

[2009-04-11 21:46:29] * Quacklin ignores it for now, staring at the crab monster.

[2009-04-11 21:47:08] <Geminid> The squirrel chitters on. The crabmecha starts to right itself.

[2009-04-11 21:47:25] <Quacklin> is there anything big and metallic like a beam? Ok, Quacklin leaves for now.

[2009-04-11 21:47:44] <Geminid> There was that huge spring, but not much else of use.

[2009-04-11 21:48:09] <Geminid> Where does he go?

[2009-04-11 21:48:37] <Quacklin> "You Giks piece of junk! You'll pay for this!"

[2009-04-11 21:48:55] <Quacklin> he reconfigures Walker to have 3 legs and limps back home.

[2009-04-11 21:49:39] <Quacklin> it's not until 2 blocks later that he notices the squirrel if it stayed.

[2009-04-11 21:49:57] <Geminid> The squirrel is sitting next to him. Once he notices it, it scampers down and pauses in front of him.

[2009-04-11 21:50:45] <Quacklin> "Hello. My friend is broken."

[2009-04-11 21:52:05] <Geminid> It scampers ten feet down an alley, then waits for you.

[2009-04-11 21:52:27] <Quacklin> "You want me to follow you?"

[2009-04-11 21:52:47] <Quacklin> "Do you know where I can find another leg?"

[2009-04-11 21:53:07] <Geminid> It nods to the first part, then cocks its head at the second.

[2009-04-11 21:53:08] * Quacklin has tears in his eyes at this question.

[2009-04-11 21:54:01] <Quacklin> "Is it far? Should I take her home first? She needs to rest."

[2009-04-11 21:56:14] <Geminid> It cocks its head, then scampers a little further down the alley.

[2009-04-11 21:56:57] * Quacklin follows the squirrel.

[2009-04-11 21:57:29] <Geminid> It leads you on a sort of lengthy journey, on which you pass some good poles you can scoop up for Walker's leg if you want.

[2009-04-11 21:58:29] * Quacklin actually looks for something wheeled to attach to the missing thing for the time being. Proper legs need a lot of work.

[2009-04-11 21:59:27] <Geminid> An abandoned child's tricycle?

[2009-04-11 22:00:13] <Quacklin> yes. He unscrews the handlebars + wheel and has the remains of Walkers lost leg attach to that.

[2009-04-11 22:00:31] <Quacklin> it makes a sad rusty squeak

[2009-04-11 22:01:27] <Geminid> The squirrel eventually leads you to an alley in La Bella, where a haberdashery sits.

[2009-04-11 22:02:10] * Quacklin chains up Walker, and enters.

[2009-04-11 22:03:16] <Geminid> A thousand thousand hats line the walls, racks, shelves, and an old tepper woman sits with a hat to outmatch all hats on her head. In her hands, she twirls a train engineer's cap.

[2009-04-11 22:03:23] <Geminid> "Greetings!"

[2009-04-11 22:03:52] <Quacklin> "Hi." Quacklin sounds sad.

[2009-04-11 22:05:02] <Geminid> "Is Walker okay?"

[2009-04-11 22:06:07] <Quacklin> "He broke her leg!" He doesn't cry, just looks sad.

[2009-04-11 22:06:30] <Geminid> "There, there. You can fix it, Mr. Grippytop."

[2009-04-11 22:06:42] <Quacklin> "I know. Why would he do that?"

[2009-04-11 22:08:04] <Geminid> "Envy, I would guess."

[2009-04-11 22:08:42] <Quacklin> "You think he was jealous of Walker?"

[2009-04-11 22:10:26] <Geminid> She nods, "And how well you take care of Walker. Want to play a game to cheer yourself up?"

[2009-04-11 22:10:57] <Quacklin> "O-kay."

[2009-04-11 22:12:42] <Geminid> She opens a back door and says, "If you can devise me a better crane for getting overhead shots with this camera, you can have this very special hat." She holds up the train engineer's cap.

[2009-04-11 22:13:20] <Quacklin> "My dad has a hat like that."

[2009-04-11 22:13:33] <Geminid> She nods, "This one is almost that good."

[2009-04-11 22:13:58] * Quacklin is already looking at the crane.

[2009-04-11 22:14:57] <Geminid> It's a state of the art camera crane for getting overhead shots.

[2009-04-11 22:16:34] * Quacklin climbs up the crane and hangs from it. Still shirtless. After examining, he falls to the ground and scribbles on the floor. With marker.

[2009-04-11 22:16:58] <Geminid> Describe how you'd improve it, if you know?

[2009-04-11 22:17:44] <Quacklin> "You need a universal join here on the top with some idempotent gears. Right now you only have two degrees of freedom from this angle. Anyone running the camera will have to turn with their feet."

[2009-04-11 22:17:54] <Quacklin> joint*

[2009-04-11 22:18:10] <Geminid> She listens and nods

[2009-04-11 22:18:28] <Quacklin> "They left out the universal joint probably to keep it steady, but that's why you need the gears." He draws a picture.

[2009-04-11 22:18:48] <Geminid> She watches closely

[2009-04-11 22:20:00] <Quacklin> "Stick some cloth in there, and the camera man can adjust the strength of the joint with this lever here:" He draws another line connecting the joints. "That will keep it steady, and he can turn it whatever way he wants. Just like looking around!"

[2009-04-11 22:20:18] <Geminid> She nods, smiling.

[2009-04-11 22:21:05] <Quacklin> "You were right, that was fun."

[2009-04-11 22:22:21] <Geminid> She says, "You should probably get back to your friends soon. Have the hat, though!"

[2009-04-11 22:22:24] <Geminid> She hands it over.

[2009-04-11 22:22:47] <Quacklin> "Okay! Thank you."

[2009-04-11 22:23:11] <Geminid> It feels... good to have thishat

[2009-04-11 22:23:43] * Quacklin tries it on. "How do I look?"

[2009-04-11 22:24:25] <Geminid> "Like a real engineer!"

[2009-04-11 22:24:59] <Quacklin> "That's because I am a real engineer! Thank you for the hat. I need to get Walker home."

[2009-04-11 22:25:31] <Geminid> She nods, "Have a good night, Mr. Grippytop."

[2009-04-11 22:25:54] <Quacklin> "You too, Hat Lady!"

[2009-04-11 22:26:11] <Geminid> She laughs, and lets you out.

[2009-04-11 22:26:21] * Quacklin wears his hat all the way home with Walker.

[2009-04-11 22:26:37] <Geminid> Gnomes nod respectfully to you once you get to Burzene

[2009-04-11 22:26:50] <Quacklin> "Hi!"

[2009-04-11 22:26:53] <Geminid> One gnome walks up, "Sir, how are you?"

[2009-04-11 22:27:29] <Quacklin> "I'm good, my friend got hurt tonight though." he pats Walker.

[2009-04-11 22:28:14] <Geminid> The gnome gives his condolences, "There's a meeting on Tagium," Sunday, "And your boss, Marshall Ironhook himself, will be there. He's running for city council. You should attend! He's got great stilts for the run!"

[2009-04-11 22:29:01] <Quacklin> "Wow! Okay! I'm working on a pair myself."

[2009-04-11 22:29:26] <Geminid> "It's at 7 o' clock at the GCC." Gnomish Community Center.

[2009-04-11 22:29:54] <Geminid> He tips his hat and moves on his way.

[2009-04-11 22:29:57] <Quacklin> "Okay! I'll be there."

[2009-04-11 22:31:02] * Quacklin continues on, then looks back at the gnome confused, then continues on.

[2009-04-11 22:31:28] <Quacklin> ("Marshall Ironhook is my boss?")

[2009-04-11 22:31:31] <Geminid> You get home.

[2009-04-11 22:31:39] <Geminid> [I'm surprised Q noticed that]

[2009-04-11 22:32:10] <Geminid> [You can set your X Chat to flash/alert you when certain things are said, right?]

[2009-04-11 22:32:16] <Quacklin> he's sensitive to authority. and yes.

[2009-04-11 22:32:36] <Quacklin> it flashes on jt, john tree and quacklin

[2009-04-11 22:32:37] <Geminid> [You should set it to flash on Q because I like the James Bond implications of calling you that]

[2009-04-11 22:32:59] <Geminid> What do you do at home?

[2009-04-11 22:34:05] <Quacklin> haha. Ok. Quacklin gives Walker a well deserved rest. He chews a piece of gum, replaces the piece on Alga and checks his messages if any.

[2009-04-11 22:34:36] <Geminid> One from Sarah, but it's garbled.

[2009-04-11 22:35:21] * Quacklin spends the next 3 minutes chiding the inanimate Alga for her poor notetaking

[2009-04-11 22:35:36] <Geminid> Haha. Then what?

[2009-04-11 22:37:06] <Quacklin> He drains one of Phillip's pustules filled with water and takes a quick shower while playing the radio.

[2009-04-11 22:37:23] <Quacklin> What time is it?

[2009-04-11 22:38:03] <Geminid> Midnightish

[2009-04-11 22:38:08] <Quacklin> (I imagine Quacklin gets water from condensers over the roof's vents.)

[2009-04-11 22:38:27] <Quacklin> He changes and heads back to the lot. Do trains run this late?

[2009-04-11 22:38:31] <Geminid> It takes a long time to fill up that way

[2009-04-11 22:38:33] <Geminid> Yes, all night

[2009-04-11 22:39:03] <Quacklin> ok, he takes a train back. Wearing his new hat. He moves the siren mechanism to the new hat.

[2009-04-11 22:39:22] <Geminid> They let you on free.

[2009-04-11 22:39:38] <Quacklin> how nice of them!